Machine for notching and slitting strips.



S. L. W. (10E & H. T. WERDBN.

MACHINE FOR NOTGHING AND SLITTING STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTORS 427. W. 6 J- 6. J. 77 4M i 1 Allornej Patented July 19,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN T 0R5 1. WW W Attorney S. L. W. 00E & H. T. WERDEN. MACHINE FOR NOTGHING AND SLITTING STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1909.

ITNESSES S. L. W. COB 62; H. T. WERDBN. MACHINE FOR NOTGHING AND SLITTING STRIPS.

. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 15, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910.

a SHEETS-33m s.

UNEEEB FFTC.

SARA L. W. 00E AND HENRIETTA T. WERIDEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR NOTCHING AND SLIT'IING STRIPS.

acacia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1.910.

Application filed May 15, 1909. Serial No. 498,261.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SARA L. \V. Con and Hnmun'rm T. TVERDEN, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Notching and Slitting Strips; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for notching and slitting strips and more particularly to means for providing notches and slits or weakening portions at the intersection of stamps or tickets in a strip of the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine which will operate continuously to out notches in diametrically opposite edges of a strip at the intersection of a series of stamps or tickets printed thereon and simultaneously to slit the strip transversely for a limited distance between the notches at respective edges thereof.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for accurately feeding the strip to and past the notching and slitting means.

A further object is to provide means for adjusting the effective movement of the feeding means to compensate for irregularities in the spacing of the stamps or tickets composing the strip.

A further object is to provide means which will feed the strip intermittingly or stepby-step to the cutting means.

NVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section; Fig. 3 is an end view; F at is a sectional view on the line iii-a: of Fig. 1; Fig. is a sectional view on the line 12 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing the feed finger, the guides for the same, and means for adjust ing the effective feeding throw of the linger; Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the construction of the head of the feeding finger, and

l I i Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line ee of Fig. 1.

1 represents a frame which supports the entire mechanism and this frame may be provided with legs 2 by which the same may be mounted upon a table or other support. Standards 31 are mounted upon the frame 1 and spaced apart so as to receive a vertically reciprocating cross-head 5 between them and for the accommodation of said cross head, guides 5 are provided. A series of cutters 66 and 7 are secured to the cross head 5 and depend from the same, the cutters 6-6 being located near the sides of the cross head and made with inner V- shaped cutting edges, and the cutter 7 being located centrally between the cutters 6 and made with a straight cutting edge at its lower end. A die plate 8 is secured to the frame 1 and is provided at its side edges with notches 9 having V-shaped walls to cooperate with the cutters G for the purpose of forming notches in the side edges of strip which is fed under said cutters as hereinafter explained, and said die plate is also made with a straight edge 10 between the notches 9, with which straight edge, the cutter 7 cooperates to form, by shearing action a slit which extends partially across the strip between the notches formed by the V-shaped cutters 6. The notches will be made in the strip between stamps or tickets printed on the strips, and the purpose of said notches is to provide the strip with engaging means for a feeding device of a stamp or ticket vending machine. The purpose of the slit between the stamps or tickets and in line with the notches in the edges of the strip, is to facilitate the severance of the stamps or ticket from the strip when said stamps or tickets are fed, one at a time from a vending machine.

The standards 34: are provided at their upper ends with bearings for a crank shaft 11 and the crank arm of this shaft is connected, by means of a pitman 12, with the cross head for reciprocating the latter and accomplishing the notching and slitting of the paper strip as above described. A gear wheel 18 is secured to the shaft 11 and meshes with a pinion let mounted on a stub 15 carried by an arm 16 secured to the standard at. A gear 17 is mounted on the stub 15 and is rotatable with the pinion 14, said gear meshing with and receiving motion from a pinion 18 secured to the armature shaft of a motor 19, from which power is derived for operating the cutting means, and also for operating feeding mechanism as hereinafter explained. Any suitable type of motor may be employed, but we prefer to use an electric motor and to provide a suitable switch de vice 20 for controlling its operation. The motor circuit may include suitable resistance, such as an incandescent lamp introduced at 21, and may be adaptable for use between the leads of a 110 volt lighting circuit.

In order that the notches and slits in the paper strip shall be made properly between the stamps comprising the strip, it is important that the strip shall be fed accurately to the cutting means. To this end, the strip must be moved forwardly a distance approximately equal to the length of a stamp between each effective downward thrust of the cutters. For accomplishing such feeding of the stamp strip, the devices now to be described are employed. A bed 22 is provided over which the stamp strip is moved, and in order that the adhesive under face of the strip shall not adhere to such bed, the latter is made with a series of longitudinal grooves, forming narrow ribs over which the strip will move freely. The stamp strip to be notched and slit as previously described, may be wound upon a reel mounted in suitable bearings 23 supported by standards 24 at one end of the frame. From this reel, the strip is passed under a guide 25 at one end of the grooved bed 22. In advance of the guide 25, a plate 26 is mounted to reciprocate over the bed 22 and is recessed in its under face to permit the passage of the paper strip under it. At its side edges, the plate 26 is provided with flanges 27 to enter and move under guides 28 secured to the table of the frame 1. The plate 26 constitutes a carrier for a spring feeding finger 29 having a head 30 at its free end. The spring finger tends to move the head 30 upwardly away from the bed 22 but is pressed toward said bed when the finger and its carrier move to the rear end of their throw, by the action of spring fingers 31, adjustably secured to a shaft 32 adjustably supported between the standards 3-4, and when the head of the feeding finger is thus pressed downwardly, teeth 33 at the forward edge thereof will engage the paper strip and feed the same when the plate or carrier 26 moves forwardly. The teeth on the head of the feeding finger will be retained in contact with the paper strip during the forward feeding of the strip, by means of guides 34, under which, flanges 35 at the side edges of the head 30 are adapted to move. The extent of forward feeding of the strip is determined by the length of the guides 34, as the head of the feeding finger will be moved away from the strip by the resilience of said finger as soon as the flanges 35 on the head 30 pass beyond said guides. It sometimes happens that the stamps are not all spaced exactly the same distance apart and as it is important that the notches and slits shall be made accurately between the stamps, provision should be made to adjust the effective feeding throw of the feeding finger. This can be accomplished by adjusting the lengths of the guides 34, and for this purpose, adjust-able extensions 36 of said guides are provided. These adjustable extensions may conveniently consist of lugs depending from the forward end blocks 37 mounted upon the guides 34 and provided at the outer edges with flanges 38 movable in guiding grooves at the base portions of the standards 3-4. The blocks 37 are connected by a cross bar 39 and one of said blocks is connected by means of a link 40, with a pivoted adjusting lever 41. This lever may be made to enter a slotted block 42 on the frame and the latter is provided with an index mark to reg ister with a similar mark on the lever to indicate the normal position of the lever and consequently the position of the lugs or guide extensions 36 when set to effect the normal feeding of the strip.

As the strip is fed forwardly toward the cutters, it will be guided under the latter by a pendulous guide 43, the latter also serving to prevent buckling of the strip in case the same should not maintain a perfectly flat condition as it passes under said pendulous guide. The paper strip, after having been notched and slit by the cutters, passes under a guide plate 44 located in advance of the cutters. Small fingers 45 project from the guide plate 44 and serve to retain the paper in proper position while being notched and slit and also to guide the strip under the plate 44 after the notching and slitting operation. After the strip has been notched and slit, it will move forwardly and be wound upon a reel located at the forward end of the machine, as hereinafter explained.

The plate or carrier 26 for the feeding finger, is provided with arms 46 which depend through slots 47 in the top or table portion of the frame 1, for connection with the driving mechanism by means of which said plate or carrier is reoiprocated. These arms may be made of a single strip of metal having its intermediate portion extending across the plate 26 and secured thereto by a screw 46 An arm or bracket 48 depends from the table portion of the frame 1 near the forward end thereof and in the lower end of this arm or bracket a shaft 49 is mounted. An arm 50 is secured to the shaft 49 and to this arm, one end of an adjustable pitman 51 is attached, the other end of said pitman being connected with a wrist pin 52 on the gear wheel 13. An arm 53 is secured to the shaft 49 and provided near its free end with an elongated slot 54 for the adjustable connection of pitmen 55 with said arm 53,the other end of said pitman being pivotally attached to the lower ends of the arms 46 which depend from the plate or car rier 26. From this construction, itwill be seen that motion will be supplied from the gear wheel 13 for effecting the reciprocation of the plate 26 and the feeding finger carried thereby and it is apparent that by altering the connection of the pitmen 55 with the slotted arm 53, the throw of the plate 26 can be adjusted.

Arms 56-57 project from the forward end of the frame 1 and at their free ends, these arms are provided with bosses or bearings 58-59. A revoluble sleeve 60 is mounted in the boss or bearing 58 and provided at its respective ends with ratchet wheel 61-62. A spindle 63 passes through the sleeve 60 and is provided at its outer end with a threaded stem for the reception of j am nuts 64 which serve to connect the spindle 63 and sleeve 60 so as to cause them to rotate together. A disk 65 is fixed to the inner end of the spindle 63 and may be con nected with the ratchet wheel 62 at the inner end of the sleeve 60, by means of a link 66. A spindle 67 is rotatively mounted in the boss or bearing 59 and provided at its inner end with a disk 68 disposed parallel but spaced from the disk 65 and coiiperating with the latter to receive a removable spool on which the notched strip is wound, the disks 65 and 68 thus constituting heads of a reel of which the spool on which the strip is wound for use in a vending machine, constitutes the temporary removable center. The spindle 67 is provided at its outer end with a knob 69 by means of which said spindle can be moved longitudinally to move the disk 68 in a direction away from the disk 65 for facilitating the insertion and removal of the spool on which the stamp strip is wound. The disk 68 is maintained in its normal position to prevent escape of the spool, by means of a spring 70 which encircles the spindle 67 and bears at its respective ends against the disk 68 and the boss 59.

The fixed arm 56 is provided with a guide 71 for the accommodation of a rack bar 72, the rear end of which passes under the table portion of the frame 1 and is connected,

through the medium of a link 73, with an arm 74 on the shaft 49. The rack bar 72 meshes with a pinion 75 mounted loosely on the sleeve 60, and this pinion carries a spring-pressed pawl '76 to engage the ratchet wheel 62 and rotate the sleeve 60 and the reel heads, when the rack bar moves forwardly. When the rack bar moves rearwardly, the pinion 75 will rotate freely and retrograde rotation of the sleeve 60 and the reel will be prevented by the engagement of a pawl 77 with the ratchet wheel 61 at the outer end of said sleeve 60. From this construction and arrangement of parts, it will be seen that the reel will be rotated step-by-step, between the notching and slitting operations of the cutters, to wind the notched and slit strip.

During the operation of the machine, the head on the feeding finger will move the strip forwardly under the notching and slitting cutters as before explained, and when the strip has been fed a distance approximately equal to the length of a stamp, the feeding head will pass beyond the guides 34. The spring feeding finger will then promptly raise the feeding head out of engagement with the paper strip. The plate or carrier 26 will then begin its rearward or return travel, withdrawing the feeding finger with the flanges 35 on the head 30 thereof, traveling above the guide ways 34 and the teeth on the head 30 entirely out of engagement with the paper strip. While the feeding finger device is thus making its rearward throw, the paper strip will be at rest and during this interval, the cutters will descend and form the notches in the edges and the transverse slit between the edges of the paper strip. The cutters then begin to ascend slowly while the feed ing devices are completing their rearward travel. As the feeding head 30 passes the rear ends of the guides 34, said head will move under the spring fingers 31 and these will operate to press the said feeding head downwardly into engagement with the paper strip and bring the flanges 35 at the edges of saidhead in alinement with the guideways 34. The feeding devices will new again begin their forward throw with the head 30 in engagement with the strip, and the flanges 35 on said head entering and traveling in the guideways 34, will maintain such engagement of the feeding head 30 with the strip during the effective forward feeding throw of the same, as previously explained. During this forward feeding of the strip, motion will be imparted by the devices hereinbefore fully described, to the reel at the forward end of the machine, to wind the preceding portion of the strip (for a distance of one stamp) upon the spool carried by said reel.

It will be seen that the machine will operate continuously to provide the notches in its edges and with transverse slits between its edges, without manipulation by an attendant, except to start the machine at the beginning of the operation and to stop it when the supply becomes exhausted.

Numerous slight changes might be made in the details of construction of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence we do not desire to restrict ourselves to the precisedetails herein set forth.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is 1*- 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a reciprocating cross head, two notching cutters carried thereby, and a slitting cutter also carried by said cross head between and spaced from the notching cutters, of means for feeding a strip intermittingly under said cutters, whereby said strip will be notched in its two edges and slit transversely a limited distance between said notches.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a bed or platform, cutters and means for operating the same, of a reciprocating plate, a feeding device carried thereby for feeding a strip over said bed or platform to said cutters and means for causing said feeding device to be maintained in contact with the strip on the bed or platform during the forward effective feeding travel of said feeding device and to release the latter from the strip during the operation of the cutters.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with cutters and means for operating the same, of a bed or platform, a reciprocating plate over the bed or platform, a spring finger secured to said plate and provided with a head to engage and feed a strip over the bed or platform to the cutters, and means for moving said head into contact with the strip, means for maintaining said head in contact with the strip during the forward feeding throw of said head and then releasing it.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with cutters and means for operating the same, of a bed or platform, a reciprocating plate over the bed or platform, a spring finger secured to said plate and provided with a head to engage a strip to be fed to the cutters, said spring finger normally tending to move said head away from the strip to be fed and means for moving said head in contact with the strip on the bed or platform, guides for said head operating to maintain the latter in engagement with the strip for a predetermined length of forward movement of the head.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with cutters and means for operating the same, of a bed or platform, a feeding head over said bed or platform, guideways for said feeding head, means for moving said head in contact with the strip on the bed or platform and in position to enter and move in said guide-ways to maintain the head in contact with the strip, means for moving said head out of contact with the paper and above the guideways at the forward ends thereof and means for reciprocating said feeding head.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with cutters and means for operating them, of a reciprocating feeding head, guides therefor, means for adjusting the length of said guides, means for moving said head in contact with a strip to be fed and in position to enter said guides at one end thereof, means for moving said feeding head away from the strip after the feeding head has passed the forward ends of said guides and means for reciprocating said feeding head.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination with cutters and means for operating the same, of a reciprocating feeding head, guideways for said head, said guideways comprising fixed and extensible portions, an adjusting lever connected with the extensible portions of the guideways for adjusting the same to adjust the length of said guideways, means for moving the feeding head in contact with a strip to be fed and in position to enter said guideways at one end of the latter, means for moving the feeding head away from the strip at the forward ends of said guideways, and means for reciprocating said feeding head.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination wit-h cutters and means for operating the same, of a reciprocating plate, a feeding head, a spring finger connecting said head with the reciprocating plate and tending to move the feeding head away from a strip to be fed to the cutters, guideways for said feeding head, and a spring finger to engage said head and move it in contact with the strip and in position to enter said guideways when said head is at the rear end of its throw, said spring fingers operating to elevate the feeding head at the forward end of said guideways and maintain it elevated while said head is making its return rearward movement.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a reciprocating cross head and notching and slitting cutters carried thereby, of means for feeding a strip intermittingly under said cutters, a motor, operating means connecting said motor with the cutter cross head and with said feeding means, for operating both continuously to effectthe alternate feeding and notching and slitting of the strip.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a reciprocating cross head, cutters carried thereby,

means for feeding a strip intermittingly under said cutters and a reel to receive the strip from the cutters, of a motor, gearing actuated by the motor for reciprocating the cutter cross head, a shaft, means operated by the motor for oscillating said shaft, connections between said shaft and the feeding means for reciprocating the latter, and means connected with said shaft for rotating the reel step-by-step.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a cross head, cutters carried thereby, feeding means for feeding a strip intermittingly to said cutters, and a reel to receive said strip from the cutters, of a motor, gearing connecting said motor with the cutter cross head for reciprocating the latter, a shaft, means op- 'erated by the motor for oscillating said shaft, connections between said shaft and the feeding means for reciprocating the latter, a pinion carried by said reel, ratchet devices between the pinion and reel, a rack bar engaging said pinion, and operating means for said rack bar connecting the same with said shaft.

12.111 a machine of the character described, the combination with cutting means and a mot-or for operating the same, of a reciprocating plate, a feed device carried by said plate for feeding a strip to the cutting means, an oscillating shaft, adjustable connections between said shaft and the reciprocating plate, and means connected with the motor for oscillating said shaft.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combination with cutting means, a motor, and means operated by the motor for operating said cutting means, of a reciprocating plate, feeding means carried by said plate for feeding a strip to said cutters, arms depending from said plate, an oscillatory shaft, means operated by the motor for oscillating said shaft, a slotted arm on said shaft, and links connecting said slotted arm with the arms of the reciprocating plate.

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination with vertically reciprocating cutting means, of means for feeding a strip under the same, and a pendulous guide for said strip, said pendulous guide lo cated in proximity to said vertically reciprocating cutting means.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SARA L. WV. COE. HENRIETTA T. WVERDEV. Vitnesses DAVID G. KENNEDY, EDWARD W. WERDEN. 

